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WO2002013669A2 - Tapis de sol, systeme et procede - Google Patents

Tapis de sol, systeme et procede Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002013669A2
WO2002013669A2 PCT/US2001/025225 US0125225W WO0213669A2 WO 2002013669 A2 WO2002013669 A2 WO 2002013669A2 US 0125225 W US0125225 W US 0125225W WO 0213669 A2 WO0213669 A2 WO 0213669A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
floor mat
floor
pile
mat
carpet
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/025225
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2002013669A3 (fr
Inventor
V. Christopher Brown
Amy B. Streeton
Original Assignee
Milliken & Company
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Milliken & Company filed Critical Milliken & Company
Priority to JP2002518821A priority Critical patent/JP2004519264A/ja
Priority to CA 2416593 priority patent/CA2416593A1/fr
Priority to EP20010959721 priority patent/EP1311721A2/fr
Priority to AU2001281247A priority patent/AU2001281247A1/en
Publication of WO2002013669A2 publication Critical patent/WO2002013669A2/fr
Publication of WO2002013669A3 publication Critical patent/WO2002013669A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L23/00—Cleaning footwear
    • A47L23/22—Devices or implements resting on the floor for removing mud, dirt, or dust from footwear
    • A47L23/26—Mats or gratings combined with brushes ; Mats
    • A47L23/266—Mats
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N7/00—Flexible sheet materials not otherwise provided for, e.g. textile threads, filaments, yarns or tow, glued on macromolecular material
    • D06N7/0063—Floor covering on textile basis comprising a fibrous top layer being coated at the back with at least one polymer layer, e.g. carpets, rugs, synthetic turf
    • D06N7/0071—Floor covering on textile basis comprising a fibrous top layer being coated at the back with at least one polymer layer, e.g. carpets, rugs, synthetic turf characterised by their backing, e.g. pre-coat, back coating, secondary backing, cushion backing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B38/00—Ancillary operations in connection with laminating processes
    • B32B2038/0052—Other operations not otherwise provided for
    • B32B2038/0076—Curing, vulcanising, cross-linking
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2471/00—Floor coverings
    • B32B2471/04—Mats
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N2201/00—Chemical constitution of the fibres, threads or yarns
    • D06N2201/02—Synthetic macromolecular fibres
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N2201/00—Chemical constitution of the fibres, threads or yarns
    • D06N2201/02—Synthetic macromolecular fibres
    • D06N2201/0263—Polyamide fibres
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N2205/00—Condition, form or state of the materials
    • D06N2205/04—Foam
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06N2209/00—Properties of the materials
    • D06N2209/08—Properties of the materials having optical properties
    • D06N2209/0807—Coloured
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
    • Y10T156/10—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
    • Y10T156/1052—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/16—Two dimensionally sectional layer
    • Y10T428/163—Next to unitary web or sheet of equal or greater extent
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/23907—Pile or nap type surface or component
    • Y10T428/23979—Particular backing structure or composition
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
    • Y10T428/24777—Edge feature

Definitions

  • This invention relates to floor mats typically having a carpet pile substrate and a rubber backing, a system of such mats, distinctive designs, and methods of producing and using such mats.
  • Floor mats have long been utilized to facilitate the cleaning of the bottoms of people's shoes, particularly in areas of high pedestrian traffic such as doorways. Moisture, dirt, and debris from out of doors easily adhere to such footwear, particularly in inclement weather and particularly in areas of grass, mud or the like. Such unwanted and potentially floor staining or dirtying articles need to be removed from a person's footwear either prior to entry indoors or someplace within an edifice in order to prohibit, or at least diminish, the transfer or "re-tracking" of dirt and debris from persons' shoes to floor coverings. As will be appreciated, such floor (and/or dust control) mats by their nature must undergo frequent repeated washings and dryings so as to remove the dirt and debris deposited thereon during use.
  • mats are generally rented from service entities, such as laundry services, which retrieve the soiled mats from the user and provide clean replacement mats on a frequent basis.
  • service entities such as laundry services
  • the soiled mats are thereafter cleaned and dried in an industrial laundering process, such as in rotary washing machines and centrifugal dryers, and then sent to another user in replacement of newly soiled mats.
  • a third major problem has been the delamination of carpet pile fibers from woven or knit pile substrates within standard floor mats.
  • delamination it is meant the carpet fibers will become disassociated from the substrate due to the weakening of the pile substrate over time, particularly upon exposure to the rigors of periodic industrial laundering. Frequently this weakening of the pile substrate occurs unevenly thus resulting in a carpet pile which loses its tufted fibers in discrete areas of the mat.
  • Such delamination particularly in a haphazard fashion, results in, again, a mat which is aesthetically displeasing.
  • Floor and/or dust control mats have been developed in the past which provide an easy manner of cleaning the soles of a person's shoes simply by scraping the footwear against such a stiff article. Examples of such floor mats or carpet piles are exemplified in U. S.
  • the floor mat of the present invention includes a lighter weight carpet pile substrate and a lighter weight rubber backing.
  • the rubber backing sheet of the inventive mat may also possess a specific gravity which is approximately 25 percent less then the rubber sheets of typical prior floor mats (less than about 0.98) upon addition of a blowing agent during vulcanization in order ultimately to form a foam rubber sheet. Accordingly, with such a decrease in the overall weight of the mat, the overall energy requirements associated with the cleaning and handling of these mats is substantially reduced over that of prior mats. All of these improvements provide a decrease in energy costs which translates into reduced costs for the consumer.
  • the mat of the present invention may incorporate a specific rubber composition for the backing sheet and reinforcement borders which either possesses the same degree of shrinkage as the carpet pile substrate or possesses a sufficiently high modulus strength to compensate for any shrinkage variations.
  • the inventive mat may utilize a specific nonwoven pile substrate through which the carpet pile fibers are tufted.
  • a specific nonwoven pile substrate through which the carpet pile fibers are tufted.
  • the particularly useful nonwoven substrate also exhibits a shrinkage rate on a dye range of from about 2.0 to about 2.5% which is well below the standard rate for nonwoven substrates of from about 3.5 to about 7.5%.
  • the shrinkage rate of the specific nonwoven substrate also matches that of the rubber backing sheet and solid reinforcement borders which, again, provides the beneficial non-rippling effects discussed above.
  • Such a specific nonwoven floor mat carpet pile substrate is preferably used in combination with the specific low shrinkage or high modulus strength rubber backing and solid rubber border reinforcement strip compositions.
  • an industrially launderable floor mat may be comprised of a carpet pile, including a nonwoven substrate having a shrinkage rate of about 2.0 to about 2.5%, and a rubber or foam rubber backing sheet possessing the same degree of shrinkage as the nonwoven carpet pile substrate, or a nonwoven carpet pile substrate possessing a shrinkage rate of from about 2.0 to about 2.5% and a solid rubber backing sheet having a strength modulus of greater than about 1 ,000 pounds per square inch.
  • Nonwoven carpet pile substrates for use with floor mats have been discussed within the prior art, such as within the Parkins patent, above. However, such disclosures were limited to the possibility of utilizing nonwoven substrates as acceptable alternatives to woven, knit, and the like, substrates. There is no teaching which requires or even makes wu i ⁇ w. ⁇ / J JI ⁇
  • a floor (and/or dust) mat which is comprised of a nonwoven carpet pile substrate which is not susceptible to weakening of carpet pile tufts and
  • Still a further object of this invention is to provide a floor (and/or dust) mat which comprises a nonwoven carpet pile substrate which
  • Yet another object of the invention is to provide a floor (and/or
  • a floor mat which comprises a nonwoven carpet pile substrate having
  • Yet another object of the invention is to provide a floor mat which may be
  • this invention encompasses a floor mat including a carpet substrate
  • rubber reinforcement strips present along at least a plurality 10 of borders of the floor mat; wherein the floor mat possesses suitable flexibility to be laundered on a
  • a floor mat including
  • a pile material tufted into the nonwoven carpet pile backing which forms a pile surface on one side of the backing; a vulcanized expanded rubber backing sheet of rubber integrated to 20 the other side of the backing; and optionally, solid vulcanized rubber reinforcement strips present along at
  • the floor mat possesses suitable flexibility to be laundered on a regular basis in a standard industrial washing machine without appreciably damaging the mat or the machine; and wherein the nonwoven carpet pile backing possesses a shrinkage factor of from about 2.0 to about 2.5% and the rubber backing sheet possesses a modulus strength of greater than about 1 ,000 pounds per square inch.
  • the inventive floor mat generally comprises any type of standard carpet pile fibers tufted through a woven or nonwoven carpet pile backing to form a carpet substrate.
  • the carpet fibers become attached to the rubber backing sheet upon vulcanization.
  • Such fibers may be natural or synthetic, including, without limitation, cotton, ramie, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, and the like, as well as blends of such fibers.
  • the fibers may be coarse or fine in structure as well.
  • the fibers may also be white or solution dyed nylon fibers.
  • Such pile fibers may provide a white or colored pile surface for jet dyeing or overprinting with different dyes in order to provide aesthetically pleasing designs, patterns, colorations and shades on the floor mat pile surface.
  • the carpet substrate is a loop or cut pile of white nylon fibers which have been injection dyed, jet dyed, or printed with a coloration, pattern, design or the like of a plurality of colors and done so in a manner mimicking a carpet substrate produced with solution dyed yarn on a graphics tufting machine.
  • the floor mats may be perforated, may include anti-creep cleats, protrusions or nubs, may be cushioned, may be reinforced, may contain antimicrobial agents, may be static dissipative, or the like.
  • the attachment of the rubber sheet component to the carpet pile fibers may be accomplished either during the actual vulcanization step, as taught in Nagahama et al., for example, above, or through the use of an adhesive layer, preferably a polyolefin adhesive, between the carpet pile and the rubber sheet, as disclosed in copending U.S. Patent Application 08/732,866, to Kerr, or U.S. Patent No. 5,968,631 , both hereby entirely incorporated by reference, or any other like procedure.
  • the backing sheet is a solid rubber, as noted above, it should possess a modulus strength of greater than about 1 ,000 pounds per square inch. Modulus strength for rubber is generally defined as the force required to physically stretch cured rubber specimens typically at 300% elongation and is
  • the high modulus strength is important for a couple of reasons. Primarily, the nonwoven substrate will shrink upon use and periodic industrial laundering while the solid rubber will not shrink at the same rate, if at all. Thus, the high modulus strength solid rubber will not exhibit any rippling effects of the nonwoven substrate even with
  • Solid rubber reinforcement strips may also be added around the borders of the mat, either by hand or in an in-line process, such as in U. S. Patent No. 5,834,086, hereby incorporated by reference herein, or in Patent Cooperation Treaty Publication 96/38298, to Milliken Research Corporation. Such strips must either possess roughly the same shrinkage rate factor as the
  • Such strips may be comprised of any type of butadiene rubber, such w ⁇ ⁇
  • NBR acrylonitrile-butadiene
  • SBR styrene-butadiene
  • NBR are comprised of NBR as carboxylated NBR is cost prohibitive.
  • the carpet fibers may be colored or dyed through any acceptable
  • white yarn may be colored or patterned using a dye 10 injection machine such as a Millitron® dye machine of Milliken & Company. It is preferred that the carpet pile be dyed or printed in broadloom form (6' or 12'
  • nylon is acid-dyeable and available from
  • the mat itself can be made in any way.
  • the inventive floor mat can easily be removed from the floor or ground and can be easily laundered through, preferably, industrial washing processes utilizing standard heavy duty washing machines. For this reason, the inventive floor mat should have a backing sheet which possesses suitable flexibility so as not to damage such machinery (not to mention itself) when subjected to such rigorous cleaning procedures. Although the inventive floor mat can withstand the rigors of industrial machine washing, hand washing or any other manner of cleaning may also be utilized. Since the inventive mat is able to withstand such industrial cleaning procedures, the inventive mat provides a long-lasting article which is easily cleaned, and thus remains aesthetically pleasing to users (i.e., pedestrians) over the life of the mat.
  • the carpet pile fibers of the inventive floor mat will, as noted above, remain tufted over a sustained period of time and upon periodic exposure to harsh industrial laundry procedures. Additionally, the inventive floor mat will not be susceptible to curling or rolling up (rippling) and thus will pose a decreased risk of harm to pedestrians when compared to the mats of the prior art. Overall, the inventive floor mat provides an article which will retain its aesthetically pleasing characteristics over a long period of time and which thereby translates into reduced costs for the consumer.
  • a system of floor mats wherein each of the floor mats is provided in a limited selection of sizes to accommodate mass production of a plurality of floor mats during one press or vulcanization cycle.
  • each of the floor mats is provided in a limited selection of sizes to accommodate mass production of a plurality of floor mats during one press or vulcanization cycle.
  • the selection of sizes of the present mat system is preferably dovetailed with a selection of colors or designs to further enhance the system, reduce costs, and standardize inventory.
  • the carpet or pile can be offered in 6 colors or colorations and 3 different border colors.
  • the borders of the mat are colored, for example, blue, gray, or taupe, by adding a frame or layer of colored rubber or other polymer over the rubber backing prior to placing the carpet substrate thereon upstream of the vulcanization of the layered structure.
  • plurality of floor mat precursors can be formed on a single, large sheet of
  • Figure 1 is a schematic side view representation of a floor mat manufacturing machine.
  • FIG. 2 is a perspective view which illustrates a molded floor mat as it 15 exists within the mat manufacturing machine of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a completed vulcanized floor
  • FIG. 4 is a top view with a portion of the carpet substrate removed and illustrating the rubber backed mat produced in accordance with one 20 embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a cross section view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 prior to vulcanization.
  • FIG. 6 is a cross section view similar to FIG. 5 following vulcanization.
  • FIG.7 is a cross section view similar to FIG. 5 except that the added elements are on a border outside of the carpet substrate.
  • FIGS.8-11 are respective top view illustrations of a large multi-mat precursor (plurality of mats) in accordance with selected embodiments of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 12 and 13 are selected layout options in accordance with particular examples of the present invention.
  • FIG. 14 is a partial top view of a particular coloration, pattern, or design in accordance with a particular example of the present invention. More particularly the coloration is Stellar Indigo, which is one of six colorations with the other five colorations or designs being Stellar Jade, Stellar Ash, Stellar
  • FIG. 15 is an exemplary top view illustration of a particular coloration, pattern, or design with a colored border or top layer. More particularly, it illustrates Stellar Indigo with a gray border. The Stellar Indigo may also have a navy border, or a taupe border.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a schematic of a floor mat manufacturing machine 10 for producing the exemplary floor mat 12 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of the present invention.
  • the floor mat 12 comprises a carpet substrate 13 including pile yarns 14 of natural or synthetic fibers (such as cotton, ramie, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, and the like) or blends thereof, solution dyed nylon pile fibers, or white nylon pile fibers tufted through a woven or nonwoven pile backing (carrier layer) 16 comprised preferably of polyester or nylon coated polyester (although nylon, polypropylene, cotton, and the like may also be utilized) with the bottom 18 of the tufts adhered to a rubber backing sheet 20.
  • natural or synthetic fibers such as cotton, ramie, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, and the like
  • carrier layer 16 comprised preferably of polyester or nylon coated polyester (although nylon, polypropylene, cotton, and the like may also be utilized) with the bottom 18 of the tufts adhered to a rubber backing sheet 20.
  • the rubber backing sheet 20 This adherence of the rubber backing sheet 20 to the nonwoven pile substrate 16 and bottom 18 of the tufts is effected during vulcanization (i.e. cross-linking) of the rubber backing sheet under heat and pressure as is well known to those of skill in the art. It is thus of utmost importance for the pile backing 16 to bond well to the rubber backing sheet 20 comprised of one or more layers of foam and/or solid rubber in order to produce a long-lasting floor mat.
  • the bottom of the rubber backing sheet may also include a plurality of anti-creep cleats (not shown) as are well known in the art. For example, as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,761 ,065; ctSG I U. iJUUG ⁇
  • the floor mat 12 of the present invention also preferably includes a pile-free or pileless border portion 22 around the perimeter, for example,
  • portion strips 24 may be added by hand prior to vulcanization or they may be adhered to the rubber backing sheet 20 through an in-line procedure as
  • the floor mat 12 of the present invention is assembled molded and vulcanized on the manufacturing machine 10 of FIG. 1.
  • the press molding apparatus 32 can be of any type which is suitable such as that shown in U.S. Patent 4,447,201 to
  • the mat components are preassembled at station 28 by laying down a metal plate or silicone or butyl pad 36 on the conveyor belt 26.
  • the rubber backing sheet 20 as described more fully below is placed over the ⁇ dbB iNU. u ⁇ on
  • rubber backing sheet laid down at the assembly station 28 is a solid
  • the conveyor belt 26 is then indexed to place the preassembled mat components into the press mold 32 while an additional mat or mats are
  • the conveyor belt 26 is again indexed to move the first vulcanized mat or mats into the post cure oven 33 to complete the vulcanization but without the application of pressure. During this time yet an additional mat or
  • a mat precursor having a plurality of carpet substrates (and reinforcement strips if desired) placed on a single large sheet of rubber backing is fed to the press mold and later cut between the carpet pieces to form individual mats.
  • the post cure oven is operated at a temperature between about 280°F and 300°F but no pressure is applied to the mat.
  • the conveyor belt is again indexed to move the first mat or mats into the stripping (separating or cutting) station 34 wherein they are removed from the silicone pad 36 and the conveyor belt 26 (FIG. 2) while the second, and third sets of mats are indexed into the post cure oven 33, and the press mold 32 respectively, and a fourth sets of mats is preassembled at station 28.
  • the mat or mats may also undergo a preheating operation prior to entering the press mold if desired as described in U.S. Patent 4,886,692, to Kerr (incorporated by reference).
  • reinforcing and/or coloring strips 24 are added over rubber backing sheet 20 prior to placement of carpet substrate 13 thereon.
  • the side or border strips 24 extend inwardly of the edge of the carpet substrate. ⁇ ac I NV . ou ⁇ n
  • strip 26 may be used so that the reinforcing and/or coloration is merely on the portion of the border which extends beyond the edge of the carpet substrate
  • edge or border strips may be instead a frame-like item which is placed over the rubber backing sheet or which actually forms part of the rubber backing sheet or a top layer thereof.
  • layered assemblies may be formed at one time in the press and thereafter cut apart to form a plurality of individual floor mats, by placing a plurality of carpet
  • FIGS. 9-11 multiple floor mat precursors 64, 74, and 84 of FIGS. 9-11 are made up of
  • FIGS. 8-11 respectively, 14, 10, 7, and 6 floor mats are formed or vulcanized simultaneously.
  • FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate respective examples of particular floor mat layout options for forming a plurality of floor mats at the same time as previously described with respect to the examples shown in FIGS. 8-11.
  • FIG. 14 of the drawings there is shown one of six particular floor mat designs or colorations formed by yarn dyeing or injection dyeing a plurality of colors, preferably three or more colors on the carpet substrate to mimic or provide an appearance similar to that of solution dyed yarn and tufting on a graphics tufting machine, but without using solution dyed yarn and without using a graphics tufting machine.
  • Each of the six designs preferably provide a random arrangement of colorations and a selection of one of six colors to match colors at a particular location or site and may provide a designer look to a facility or to provide a selection of colors which can be alternated to provide variation or variety at the location or site of the floor mat placement.
  • the coloration, design, or pattern is shown on a black rubber backing sheet having an exposed border or edge of about Vz .
  • the floor mat is shown with square corners, it is to be understood that the corners could be rounded, angled, or the like.
  • the rubber backing may be solid rubber, foamed rubber, multiple rubber layers with, for example, a lower foam layer and an upper solid rubber capping layer, with reinforced borders, with colored borders, and/or the like.
  • FIG. 15 of the drawings there is shown one of three different examples of the Stellar Indigo floor mat each with a different colored
  • FIG. 15 shows the Stellar Indigo floor
  • the Stellar Indigo floor mat may also have a navy or blue colored
  • border or backing or a taupe colored border or backing.
  • the colors for 15 each of the designs are as follows:
  • nonwoven carpet pile backing is selected for the inventive floor mat.
  • nonwoven backing or substrate again, as noted previously, preferably exhibits a shrinkage rate factor upon standard use, processing, and industrial cleaning procedures (which includes high temperatures washing and drying) of from about 2.0 to about 2.5%.
  • Standard nonwoven substrates exhibit
  • the carpet pile substrate of the inventive mat is preferably capable of bonding easily and effectively to the rubber backing
  • polyesters preferably polyethylene terephthalate
  • the base material for the rubber backing sheet 20 is any material for the rubber backing sheet 20.
  • NBR acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber
  • SBR styrene-butadiene rubber
  • ozonation oxidation and ozone attack
  • EPDM ethylene-propylene-diene comonomer rubber
  • Krynac® such as Krynac® 34E80 or XN 313.
  • SBR may be purchased from Goodyear
  • a masterbatch of the polymer components is first prepared by mixing the base rubber (either NBR or SBR) with the additive ozone resistant polymer (EPDM) in the desired ratio along 5 with various stabilizers, processing agents, solubilizers, curing catalysts, pigments or colorants, anti-microbial or anti-bacterial agents, conductive agents, antioxidants and scavenging agents (ozone resistance agents), and/or any like additives.
  • various stabilizers processing agents, solubilizers, curing catalysts, pigments or colorants, anti-microbial or anti-bacterial agents, conductive agents, antioxidants and scavenging agents (ozone resistance agents), and/or any like additives.
  • silica may also be added to provide extra strength to the rubber composition.
  • Stabilizers may include calcium
  • solubilizers include stearic acid and zinc oxide
  • curing catalysts include any well known polymerization initiator, including Vulkalent® and Vulkacit® series catalysts, from Bayer Fibers, DOTG (di-ortho-tolylguanidine, from Bayer), DETU (diethyl thiourea, from Sovereign Chemical), MBTS (mercapto-
  • compositions are merely embodiments for the invention and it should be remembered that the main criteria of selection for the particular rubber backing sheet is one which either exhibits roughly the same degree of shrinkage (from about 2.0 to about 2.5% under standard use, processing, and V »doe i U. ou ⁇ on
  • any backing sheet which meets these two overall requirements of
  • Component Amount (in parts) 10 Krynac® 34E80 30.00
  • the rubber composition is mixed together and eventually formed into a sheet of material.
  • the rubber backing sheet 20 may include, and in some cases preferably includes, a blowing agent to effectuate the formation of closed gas cells in the rubber during vulcanization.
  • the blowing agent which is preferably used is a nitrogen compound organic type agent which is stable at normal storage and mixing temperatures but which undergoes controllable gas evolution at
  • blowing agents which may be used include: azodicarbonamide (Celogen® AZ-type blowing agents) available from Uniroyal Chemical Inc. in Middlebury, Connecticut and modified azodicarbonamide available from Miles Chemical in Akron, Ohio under the
  • blowing agents at a level of between about 1 and about 5 parts by weight in the raw rubber composition yields a rubber sheet having an expansion factor of between about 50 and 20 200 percent. It has been further found that this expansion using these materials yields a final vulcanized rubber backing sheet having a specific gravity of less than about 0.98 and preferably between about 0.5 and about 0.98. With the presence and utilization of a blowing agent during ⁇ oc iNU. uu n
  • this composition ultimately forms a closed-cell structure foam rubber backing sheet which exhibits a shrinkage rate factor, when exposed to
  • the foam rubber sheet weighs appreciably less than a solid rubber article, thus, as noted previously, lowering the amount of energy
  • This rubber backing sheet composition exhibited a modulus of about 1 ,000 pounds per square inch upon vulcanization.
  • FIGS. 8 - 15 of the drawings shown, for example, in FIGS. 8 - 15 of the drawings and marketed under the
  • the mats are:
  • mats are dyed, jet dyed, injection dyed, printed, or the like to look like they are made from solution dyed yarn which has been graphics tufted.
  • the carpet pile substrate or tufted substrate may be formed from white yarn, space dyed, solution dyed, or the like and then overprinted or dyed in a jet dying, injection dyeing, or printing machine.
  • each of the floor mats of a particular mat offering or system are offered
  • the components of the floor mats is treated with an antimicrobial or anti-bacterial agent.
  • the face weight of the carpet substrate and the backing weight of the carpet substrate are 20 in accordance with another aspect of the present invention.
  • the lower weight reduces manufacturing cost, reduces transportation or shipping costs, reduces laundering cost, reduces fuel consumption by delivery trucks, reduces the weight of the mats as they are handled, and the like.
  • the floor mats are jet dyed or injection dyed with a coloration, pattern and/or design that looks like a space dyed or solution dyed pattern or design. It is preferred to use a white or light pile substrate, for example a white yarn or a light beige yarn that is jet dyed, injection dyed, printed, or the like. Also, it is preferred to use three or more colors when jet dying, injection dyeing, printing, ink jet printing, or the like.
  • floor mats have a carpet or fabric substrate which is jet dyed in a manner providing a solution dyed look to the final product.
  • the floor mat may include a dimpled pattern, cleats, nubs, protrusions, and/or the like on the back surface to provide a non-skid or anti-creep surface.
  • the upper surface of the floor mat especially the border may include dimples, protrusions, nubs, cleats, or the like for either aesthetics or function (FIGS. 14 and 15).
  • the corners of the mat ⁇ dsc i U. JUUO ⁇ V
  • the 5 floor mats may have a black edge and back surface and a non-black or
  • a black rubber backing sheet for example, a black rubber backing sheet, and non-black reinforcing
  • the mats are perforated, for example, as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,653,366 hereby incorporated by reference. Such perforations allow water to pass through the mat during the spin cycle of laundering
  • Color can be provided to the rubber backing sheet, border,
  • carpet substrates are formed by tufting nylon 6,6 in a nonwoven polyester backing or carrier, jet dyeing the tufted substrate, slitting the substrate along its length, and then cross cutting the slit substrate to
  • the back of the carpet substrate may be 10 coated with an adhesive, latex, hot melt, or the like to enhance the attachment to the rubber backing sheet and/or to help hold the tufts in
  • carpet substrates to form individual floor mats. These individual floor 20 mats may not need additional trimming following the cutting or separation. Although it is preferred to dye the carpet substrate prior to vulcanization and attachment to the rubber backing sheet, it is possible to place an undyed carpet substrate on a rubber backing sheet, vulcanize the two together, and then run the floor mat through a jet dyeing or injection dyeing machine to dye the carpet substrate.
  • the floor mats could be borderless (no rubber backing extending beyond the edge of the carpet substrate), have one or more side borders, have one or more end borders, or have both end and side borders.
  • floor mats may be constructed using a bonded rather than tufted carpet substrate, especially when producing a non-washable floor mats.
  • the floor mat has a total mat weight of less than about 6.5 lbs. for a 3' X 5' mat, preferably less than about 6.4 lbs., and most preferably less than about 6.25 lbs.
  • the mat has a rubber weight of less than about 58 oz./sq. yd., preferably less than about 57 oz./sq. yd., and more preferably less than about 56.5 oz./sq. yd.
  • the mat has a pile face weight of less than about 20 oz./sq. yd., preferably less than about 19 oz./sq. yd., and more preferably less than about 18.5 oz./sq. yd.
  • a plurality of mats for instance, 2 - 16 mats, are produced simultaneously by placing a plurality of carpet or tufted or fabric pieces atop a single rubber backing sheet prior to vulcanization.
  • the mat has a low pile height which fits well under a door (for example, about 24/64 inch).
  • the floor mat has an about 60 mil thick rubber backing formed of either a 60 mil thick black solid rubber backing, a 50 mil thick black solid rubber backing and a 10 mil thick colored top layer, a 60 mil thick black rubber backing with a colored frame or border, a 40 mil thick black rubber backing with a 20 mil thick colored border or edging, or a 40 mil thick black backing with a 20 mil thick upper layer or cap which may be colored a color other than black or may be black.
  • the reinforcement strips may be eliminated.
  • the backing of the floor mat may be polyurethane, latex, SBR, Neoprene®, polychloralprene

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Synthetic Leather, Interior Materials Or Flexible Sheet Materials (AREA)
  • Carpets (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un tapis de sol, un système et un procédé associés. Dans un mode de réalisation, l'invention concerne un substrat en non tissé à travers lequel les fibres sont touffetées, ainsi qu'un support en caoutchouc mousse qui présente le même degré de retrait que le composant de touffetage ou un support en caoutchouc qui présente un module de résistance supérieur à environ 1 000 livres par pouce carré. Avec de telles exigences en matière de support, le retrait global du tapis sera régulier ou le support sera suffisamment résistant pour compenser divers niveaux de retrait entre le substrat de touffes et le support. Le tapis de sol qui en résulte satisfait aux normes de blanchisserie industrielle concernant l'ondulation (c'est-à-dire le redressement des bords), et le délaminage (c'est-à-dire l'avachissement puis la chute des fibres touffetées), et utilise un substrat de touffes en non tissé, tout en étant capable de résister au traitement vigoureux de blanchisserie, sans pour autant constituer une menace pour les laveuses à tambour ou les sécheuses centrifuges, ou se dégrader du fait de l'exposition à des conditions aussi sévères.
PCT/US2001/025225 2000-08-10 2001-08-10 Tapis de sol, systeme et procede WO2002013669A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2002518821A JP2004519264A (ja) 2000-08-10 2001-08-10 フロアマット、システムおよび方法
CA 2416593 CA2416593A1 (fr) 2000-08-10 2001-08-10 Tapis de sol, systeme et procede
EP20010959721 EP1311721A2 (fr) 2000-08-10 2001-08-10 Tapis de sol, systeme et procede
AU2001281247A AU2001281247A1 (en) 2000-08-10 2001-08-10 Floor mat, system and method

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22431000P 2000-08-10 2000-08-10
US60/224,310 2000-08-10
US09/927,016 US20020045021A1 (en) 2000-08-10 2001-08-09 Floor mat, system and method
US09/927,016 2001-08-09

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002013669A2 true WO2002013669A2 (fr) 2002-02-21
WO2002013669A3 WO2002013669A3 (fr) 2002-08-22

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US (1) US20020045021A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1311721A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP2004519264A (fr)
AU (1) AU2001281247A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2416593A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2002013669A2 (fr)

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WO2018186962A1 (fr) * 2017-04-07 2018-10-11 Milliken & Company Tapis de sol lavable avec couche de renforcement

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RU2609217C2 (ru) * 2011-08-26 2017-01-31 Кттек Бфба Способ изготовления ворсового ковра
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AU2018249357B2 (en) * 2017-04-07 2021-07-22 Milliken & Company Washable floor mat with reinforcement layer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2002013669A3 (fr) 2002-08-22
EP1311721A2 (fr) 2003-05-21
JP2004519264A (ja) 2004-07-02
AU2001281247A1 (en) 2002-02-25
US20020045021A1 (en) 2002-04-18
CA2416593A1 (fr) 2002-02-21

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